Automatic regulating device for fluid-pressure apparatus.



A. G. E. RATEAU.

AUTOMATIC BBGULATING DEVICE FOR FLUID PRESSURE APPARATUS. APPLICATIONFILED APR. 28, 1905.

902,001 Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTE CAMILLE EDMOND RATEAU, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO RATEAUTURBINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC REGULATINGDEVICE FOR FLUID-PRESSURE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedOct. 27, 1908.

Application filed April 28, 1905. Serial No. 257,849.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTE CAMILLE ED- MOND RATEAU, a citizen of theRepublic of France, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Automatic Regulating Devices for Fluid-Pressure Apparatus, for which I have obtained Letters Patent in foreigncountries as follows: France, No. 342,896, May 5, 1904; Belgium, No.147,358, April '10, 1905, and Switzerland, April 10, 1905, and of whichthe following is a specification.

The resent invention has for its object a plan of automatic regulationoffluid pressure apparatus, being designed more particularly as a systemof regulation for pumps serving to feed boilers.

In its particular intended application the invention is employedinconnection with centrifugal pumps used for feeding boilers.

Centrifugal pumps having a large head can be utilized for feeding steamboilers, even to pressures as high as about three hundred pounds persquare inch. In contradistinction to the operation of reciprocatingpumps, centrifugal pumps oifer the advantage that at a velocity ofrotation which is substantially constant they can yield a very variableoutput of water, but it is necessary to em loy a special system ofregulation which obliges the steam motor driving the centrifugal pump togive an amount of work roportiona to the required flow. It is a sonecessary that in case the pump loses its priming through the flowbecoming interrupted on account of the entrance of air, or for otherreasons, the racing of the motor should be prevented. This doublecondition is realized by the system of regulation forming the subject ofthe present invention, and which, in a preferred mechanical form, isshown in the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the construction andarrangement of the regulator; and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic viewillustrating the various connections between the boiler, pump and motor.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the throttle-valve of the motor,herein diagrammatically shown as a steam turbine. This throttle-valve issecured to the stem 2, and by moving down more or less it partially cutsoff the admission of steam to the motor. 3 designates a lever having apivotal axis at 4' on a suitably mounted stem 15*, and engaging thelower end of the stem 2. r This lever 3 is acted u on at its extremity 5by the connected di 'erential pistons 6 and 7 0 erating in a casing 6The diameter of t e piston 6, through which the-pressure of the boiler 9acts by means of a connecting pipe 8, is a-little greater than that ofthe piston 7, which latter is subjected, through a pipe 10, to thepressure of the water discharged by the centrifugal pump 11. By means ofthese differential pistons, which are in equilibrium when the pressureof the water dischar ed by the pum 11 is a little higher than t epressure of t e steam, the lever 3 will move the throttle-valve to admitsteam to the motor 12'of the pum when the pressure of the water tends tofa l; and, on the contrary, will throttle the admission of steam whenthe pressure of the water tends to rise above a point which is found tobe in normal or constant relation to the pressure of the steam.Furthermore, the lever 3 is acted upon by a spring 13, the tension ofwhich can be varied by means of a hand Wheel 14. This spring permits anydesired variation or re ulation of the constant relation between t epressure of the water delivered by the pump 11 and that of the steam inthe generator 9.

The pivot of the lever 3 is, as already stated, mounted on the rod 15*which forms the stem of a piston 15, the lower face of which is incommunication, through the pipe 16, with the discharge pressure of thepum 11. When this pressure is sufficiently hig this piston 15 raises thepivot 4 and maintains it in its normal position but should the pressureof the water discharged by the pump 11 fall materially or ceasealtogether by reason of the pum losing its priming, or for any otherreason, t e pressure of water on the piston 15 falls, and acounteracting spring 17 thrusts the piston and the pivot 4 downwardly.The throttle-valve 1 is then closed and the motorstops, whatever may bethe position of the differential pistons 6 and 7.

To again start the machine, all that is necessary is to raise the axis 4by elevating the lever3 by hand, for'which purposes the latter isprovided with a handle 18. The lever 3 is held u until the normal speedis attained, and at t is instant, if the pump is o crating normally, thelever can be released, t e pressure below the piston 15 being sufficientto offset the spring 17 and maintain the pivot 4 in its normal position.It will thus be seen that by the simple arrangement of mechanismdescribed this double result is obtained, viz: that the pressure ofdischarge of the pump 11 is always higher than the pressure of the steamin the boiler, and that the apparatus automatically stops as soon as theentrance of air or the failure of priming interrupts the continuity offlow of the centrifugal ump.

It will be understood that the specific constructions herein illustratedof the several parts are typical only, and may take on any of the usualand well known forms.

I claim:

1. The combination with a pressure generator, of a motor, a connectionforapplying pressure from said generator to said motor, a regulator forcontrolling the pressure admitted to said motor, a pump driven by saidmotor, and controlling mechanism independ ent of the regulator forgoverning said regulator, said controlling mechanism being acted uponoppositely by the pressure from said generator and said pump.

2. The combination with a pressure generator, of a motor, a pump forsupplying said generator driven by said motor, a regulator for saidmotor having a movable controlling part, and controlling mechanism forgoverning said regulator, said controlling mechanism comprisingdiiferential pistons of unequal cross-section acted upon oppositely bythe pressure from said generator and said pump, respectively.

3. The combination with a fluid feed pump, of a motor driving the same,and mechanism controlling said motor adapted to shut off the powerthereto when the fluid pressure from said pump fails, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with a fluid feed pump, of a motor driving the same,and a mechanism subjected to the discharge pressure of the pumpcontrolling said motor and adapted to shut oil. the power thereto whenthe fluid pressure from said pump fails, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a fluid pressure generator, of a motor receivingits motive fluid supply from said generator, a pump for supplying saidgenerator driven by said motor, a throttle-valve for said motor, and adiflerentiaLpiston controlling mechanism connected to saidthrottle-valve, but independent thereof, the pistons whereof are actedupon oppositely by the pressure from said generator and said pump,respectively, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a fluid pressure generator, of a motor, a pumpfor supplying said generator driven by said motor, a throttlevalve forsaid motor, a pair of connected differential pistons exposedrespectively to oppositely acting pressures from said generator and saidpump, and a lever connecting said pistons and the stem of saidthrottle-valve, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a fluid pressure generator, of a motor, a pumpfor supplying said generator driven by said motor, a throttle-valve forsaid motor, a pair of connected differential pistons exposedrespectively to oppositely acting pressures from said generator and saidpump, a lever connecting said pistons and the stem of saidthrottlevalve, and means regulated by the pressure from said pumpserving to vary the position of the fulcrum point of said lever,substantially as described.

8. The combination with a fluid pressure generator, of a motor, a pumpfor supplying said generator driven by said motor, a throttle-valve forsaid motor, a painof connected differential pistons expos ec lrespectively to oppositely acting pressures from said generator and said pump,a lever connecting said pistons and the stem of said throttle-valve, anda piston on which said lever is fulcrumed, said last-named piston beingexposed to the pressure from said pump, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a fluid pressure generator, of a motor, a pumpfor supplying said generator driven by said motor, a throttle-valve forsaid motor, a pair of connected differential pistons exposedrespectively to oppositely acting pressures from said generator and saidpump, a lever connecting said pistons and the stem of saidthrottle-valve, a piston exposed to the pressure from said pump andpivotally supporting said lever, and a spring acting upon the pivot ofsaid lever in opposition to said last-named piston, substantially asdescribed.

10. The combination with a fluid pressure generator, of a motor, a pumpfor supplying said generator driven by said motor, a throttle-valve forsaid motor, a pair of connected differential pistons exposedrespectively to oppositely acting pressures from said generator and saidpump, a lever connecting said pistons and the stem of saidthrottlevalve, an adjustable spring acting upon one arm of said lever, apiston exposed to the pressure from said pump and pivotally supportingsaid lever, and a spring acting upon the pivot of said lever inopposition to said last-named piston, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a steam boiler, ofa steam engine, a centrifugalpump for supplying feed water to said boiler driven by said engine, athrottle-valve for said engine, a pair of connected differential pistonsexposed respectively to the steam pressure from said boiler and thewater pressure discharged by said pump, a lever connecting said pistonsand the stem of said throttlevalve, a piston exposed to the waterpressure from said pump and pivotally supporting uuzpu 1 3 said lever,and a spring acting upon the pivot of said lever in opposition to saidlastnamed piston, substantially as described.

12. In a regulator, the combination with a I valve, of a lever foroperating the same, a movable fulcrum for the lever, a piston arrangedto move said lever upon said fulcrum, a second piston arranged tosupport said fulcrum, and sources of fluid pressure arranged to act uponsaid pistons to control the opera tion of said valve.

13. In a regulator, the combination With a valve, of a pivoted lever foroperating the same, automatic means for shifting said lever to move thevalve to either of its alternative positions, and a movable fulcrum forsaid lever adapted when moved away from its normal position to revent aneffective change in position of said ever.

said motor having a movable controlling.

part, and means controlled by an abnormal fall of the discharge pressurefrom said pump, adapted to shift said controlling part to a position tostop said motor.

AUGUSTE CAMILLE EDMOND RATEAU. Witnesses:

EUGENE PIERRE RoLLIN, HANsoN 0. (10x12.

